They feature a compressor in its outdoor unit that circulates the refrigerant and turns it from a gas to a liquid. That liquid passes through coolant lines to the indoor evaporator, where it transforms from a liquid to vapour. Heat is removed from the surrounding air and cooled air is blown into your home. Before you get a portable unit, there are some more sustainable options to cool your home that you can try beforehand, such as using an electric fan or closing curtains. These machines are quieter and more efficient than portable models, but need to be permanently positioned in just one room. If you've settled on a split-unit air conditioner, you'll need to get it set up by a professional – note that installers tend to be at their busiest during the summer. You could also look at the claimed energy class. Air conditioner manufacturers are obliged to self-certify their energy class, from A to G. However, we conduct our own expert tests according to the European Standard BS EN 14511:2013. Often, we find the claimed and actual energy class to be different. Can you buy an eco air conditioner? Portable models extract hot air from your home and push it outside through the attached hose. A reliable model will cool the room you're in, but don't expect it to push cold air down the hallway or into another room.

Keep an eye out for any refrigerant leaks If yours is blowing out warm air or is noisier than usual, this could indicate that it has a refrigerant leak. Find out which retailers are rated highly by Which? members with our guide on the best and worst shops. Can you hire or rent an air conditioner? However, if you do decide to use a portable air conditioner, there are things you can do to make it more efficient: Our data shows that they use as much energy in an hour as a typical fridge freezer uses in one day.Choose a suitable model for the size of the room Those with a lower BTU in a large space will have to work harder to cool it, which is going to use more electricity. While the electricity used to power portable air conditioners can come from renewable energy sources, this can’t be guaranteed. Electricity is generated from a mixture of burning fossil fuels, renewables, gas and nuclear, but this is mixed up in the grid. Yes, there are lots of companies that offer this. Trying a portable model before you buy could save you from making a costly mistake. For instance, you may not realise how much noise they can make. At their quietest, they sound like a fridge on its cooling cycle, and some models will also rattle and gurgle. With some air conditioner/dehumidifiers, you'll need to connect a hose (which might not be supplied) to drain the water. With others, you'll need to set the machine up as you would in air conditioning mode, with the hose out of the open window.

Some models double up as a dehumidifier, meaning they serve a purpose throughout the year, not only in the summer. If you'll mostly be using this function, though, we recommend buying a dedicated dehumidifier instead. They are generally heavy, unwieldy appliances. If you have reduced strength and/or live alone, you might need to get someone to help you set it up. Recently it has been reported that Daikin may be a potential buyer of the Sharp air conditioning business in unconfirmed news reports emanating from Japan. Sharp Air Conditioners is a brand with an impeccable reputation for producing high-quality and durable products. It is one of the leaders in the industry and it has been producing high-quality and durable products for decades. The company’s goal is to produce the most reliable products that will keep customers cool in extreme conditions.Multiply the dimensions (in feet) of the room by five. So for a room measuring 15ft x 10ft x 8ft, you would calculate 15 x 10 x 8 x 5 = an air conditioner of 6,000 BTUs. In theory, the higher the claimed BTU, the more efficiently it can cool a room. As a general rule, 5,000 to 8,000 BTUs is adequate for most living rooms or bedrooms. Use this calculation to work out what BTU is right for you: Having a range of fan speeds is useful, as it affects the rate at which your room cools down (and the noise the air conditioner makes). Most models have three fan speeds and some also have a fan-only mode, which has no cooling effect and simply circulates the air within the room. While having a presence in Europe – mainly in central and Eastern Europe – Sharp only ever flirted with the UK market. Chillaire Limited acquired these systems through one of the Sharp appointed national distributors Climate Equipment based in Solihull. Air conditioners are considered to be the most important appliance in the modern house. It not only helps in cooling down your home but also helps in regulating the indoor humidity levels. However, it may happen that air conditioners fail to meet your expectations and their performance starts declining with time. At this point, you need to schedule Sharp Air Conditioners maintenance services at least once a year.

Remember that opening the windows on either side of your home will allow air to flow through. If you have a conservatory, keep the door between it and your home closed, as a lot of heat might leak from the conservatory into other rooms. How we test air conditioners When setting up wi-fi on your air conditioner (if applicable), place the air conditioner as close to the router as possible. Manufacturers often state that the unit requires a good signal during the setup process. Sharp apart from specialising in residential air conditioning systems, also distributed a wide range of commercial type of portable units, split type systems and multi split type systems.We've tested portable air conditioners from a range of popular brands, including AEG, Argos own-brand Challenge, DeLonghi and ElectriQ. They come in various shapes and sizes, but are often described in terms of their BTU (British thermal unit) output. Fans use just a fraction of the energy that air conditioners guzzle, as they only have to rotate lightweight blades. But while they might help your room feel less muggy, they only move the air around rather than actually cooling it.